18 Fascinating Facts About Brazil

• Location and Borders: Brazil is located in South America. It is bordered by every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. It shares borders with Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana to the north, Colombia to the northwest, Peru to the west, Bolivia and Paraguay to the southwest, Argentina to the south, and Uruguay to the southeast. It also has a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• Square: The country covers an area of approximately 8.51 million square kilometers, making it the largest country in South America and the fifth largest in the world.
• National Currency: The currency of Brazil is the Brazilian Real (BRL).
• Official Language: The official language of Brazil is Portuguese.

Interesting Facts About Brazil:

1. Name Origin: The name “Brazil” comes from the Pau-Brazil tree, which Portuguese explorers found valuable for its vibrant red dye.
2. First Capital: Salvador was the first city built by the Portuguese and also the first capital of Brazil, showcasing beautiful baroque architecture and over a hundred churches.
3. Diverse Population: The coastal population of Brazil primarily consists of mulattoes and black people, reflecting a mix of African and Portuguese heritage.
4. Cultural Influence: The Afro-Brazilian culture has left a lasting impact on Brazil, including religion, festivals, clothing, and cuisine.
5. Carnival: Brazil’s world-famous Carnival is rooted in African traditions, originally a ceremony for crowning tribal chiefs. The samba dance performed at Carnival has its origins in slave dances.
6. Football Legacy: The Brazilian national football team is the most successful in World Cup history, winning five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002).
7. Social Hierarchy: Mulattoes have historically been more privileged than black Brazilians, with wealthier mulattoes often being considered “white.”
8. Urban Migration: Many rural black Brazilians migrate to cities for work, often settling in favelas, or slums, around urban areas.
9. Brasilia: In 1960, the Brazilian government moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to the newly built city of Brasilia, located in the geographic center of the country.
10. Rio de Janeiro: Known as the “January River,” Rio de Janeiro is famous for its beaches, including the legendary Copacabana, and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Mountain.
11. Architectural Heritage: Rio de Janeiro’s growth surged in the late 17th century after gold and diamond deposits were discovered nearby.
12. Tourism Boom: Brazil became a popular tourist destination, with five million tourists visiting its coastal and mountain resorts in 2005.
13. Music and Dance: The national instrument of Brazil is the “gaita” (bagpipe), and Brazilian music and dance, such as samba, have global recognition.
14. Natural Resources: Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of coffee and is also known for its significant production of sugarcane, soybeans, and oranges.
15. Biodiversity: The Amazon Rainforest, located in Brazil, is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and home to an incredible variety of wildlife.
16. Cultural Symbols: The Brazilian rose is a national symbol and a key export product, with Brazil producing half of the world’s rose oil.
17. Advanced Calendar: In 1976, UNESCO named the ancient Bulgarian calendar, used historically in Brazil, the most accurate in the world.
18. First Electronic Computer: John Vincent Atanasoff, a physicist and inventor of Bulgarian descent, is credited with creating the first electronic digital computer.